


The Heart Within

by queermoraghid (TheDoctorIsIcecube)



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Genre: (eventually) - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Redemption, Decline of Mor Ardain, F/F, Flesh Eaters, Major Spoilers, Slow Burn, Torna - Freeform, canon character death, mature themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-13 03:08:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13561455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDoctorIsIcecube/pseuds/queermoraghid
Summary: When Mòrag was awakened as the blade of the Empress of Mor Ardain, she was awakened into a world where she had a duty doomed before it had even begun. Unable to save the empire, she attempts to preserve all that she holds dear.With a human heart within her, on the run from the clutches of Indol, she finds the only allies who will accept someone like her. And from there, the journey to Elysium begins.





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> And here's our second collaborative work for Xenoblade Chronicles 2! It's decidedly less lighthearted than the first but the aim is to have it ending up slightly less sad than the actual game (bc Ch9 is named after the rain on my face while playing it).

Mòrag's awakening would forever be imprinted in her memory (now she realised that it was something she would not forget in an instant). As the winds settled around her, she had bowed and offered the hilt of the rapier in her hands to the woman in front of her. The woman was young, with dark hair and startling blue eyes. Mòrag remembered most clearly that she was beautiful. She was always beautiful, for as long as Mòrag knew her. That seemed to be the one thing that never changed, even in the unstable world that Mòrag had found herself awoken into. So much changed, almost every day, but she had always been able to rely on her driver.

They didn’t have a close relationship, at least not initially. As the blade of the Empress, her duty was the protection of the imperial family. She had a task and she stuck to it. People rarely spoke to her, she was just a convenient dangerous weapon who was unendingly loyal to the imperial family. She watched for threats and, if they arose, she eliminated them. For a year, that was how life was. 

And then her driver got pregnant, which changed things somewhat. Fighting alone became a new staple of her life, as dull as it was. But the Empress could hardly be expected to fight at her side with the precious heir to the throne inside of her. She missed the thrill of their ether link rushing with energy, the ease of throwing her weapon over to her driver and watching her tear through anyone who opposed them. Even though fighting together had been rare because it rarely became someone of the Empress’ status to fight, she missed those opportunities now they were gone.

Nine months later, Crown Prince Niall was born, and everything changed again. Mòrag suddenly found ‘occasional babysitter’ added to her list of duties. Her poor driver seemed to find taking care of a baby to be quite exhausting, and whenever she wanted to sleep, Mòrag would find herself with an infant on her hands.

He was the most precious thing she had ever beheld. She understood deeply that he was important to the future of the empire, but it was more than that. He looked startlingly like her driver and bore no resemblance to the ailing Emperor. He was tiny, and innocent, and even when he was screaming she still found solace in holding him in her arms and trying to soothe him. In this life at least, she had never seen anyone so small that she wanted to protect so badly. It was probably the ether link between her and her driver- she could feel so much love for this infant coming through from the Empress, and it felt as though it may make her heart burst at any moment.

As the months drew on, however, her driver didn’t return to fighting. Something was wrong, Mòrag could feel that much. Her driver was...changed. It wasn’t the baby, because he was fine, and after a few weeks she stopped spending as much time with him. Mòrag was fairly sure she spent more time with the young crown prince than his mother did. After all, there were nurses to feed him and look after him, and the Empress could attend to other things.But still, her driver was different. She seemed tired, almost all the time, and she was so much quieter than before. Mòrag didn’t want to think it, but she was worried that the Empress was sick. 

When she didn’t improve over a week, Mòrag went to the Emperor to voice her concerns. There were other people she could have spoken to, perhaps, but she always felt as if there was a barrier between her and the staff at the palace. She was never sure if they were afraid of her or if they saw her as inconsequential, but she never felt as if she could speak to them. “Your Majesty, if I may have a moment of your time?” She said. The Emperor looked harried, as always.

“Lady Mòrag. Can it not wait?” She sighed, shaking her head. If she was to get things done, she would have to be firm about it. “...Very well. I can spare you five minutes, I suppose. Please, do not talk around the topic. Be quick about whatever it is that you need to discuss with me.”

“I am worried about her Majesty the Empress,” Mòrag said. The Emperor looked up at her with even more worry in his face. “She seems fatigued. I understand the trials of childbirth, however- she had mentioned she would be better before this point. She does not attend to Niall once she is done for the day and instead goes straight to rest. I may be overreacting, but-”

“Alright, I’ve heard enough.” The Emperor raised a hand, cutting her off. He looked...angry. Not quite what she had been expecting. “I’ll look into this. Thank you.” Something in his tone suggested that he already knew, Mòrag thought. He just didn’t want to know. 

“Of course, your Majesty,” she said, bowing deeply and turning to leave. She hoped he really would look into it. She was worried, and there was only so much she could do on her own. She wasn’t particularly skilled in speaking to others and she didn’t want to spread about that the Empress was ill if his Majesty was trying to hide it for some reason. So, she headed back to her quarters in silence. The Empress was busy today, and Mòrag had once again been left in charge of the baby. That poor kid. She really hoped that he wouldn’t have to grow up without a mother. Although, with how often she was busy, Niall sort of already was. 

“I hope you know how important you are,” Mòrag said quietly, rocking Niall in her arms. He was asleep, but that didn’t really matter. At this age, he probably couldn’t even understand her. “Even though people don’t have much time for you. You’re important and...loved.” As if he really could understand her, Niall gurgled softly in his sleep, his tiny tongue poking out for a moment before he returned to peacefulness. He wasn’t her baby, but Mòrag would do anything, anything, to keep him safe.


	2. Suggestion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mòrag's driver speaks to her about what's been going on.

“Lady Mòrag?” One morning a handful of days after she had spoken to the Emperor about her concerns, her driver called her to speak to her. Normally she did not do so at such an early time in the morning, so Mòrag went to her immediately. “I wish to...speak to you about something important. Please, sit down.”

“Of course.” As instructed, she sat down, perched almost at the edge of her chair. She tried not to look too worried, but it was impossible. “What do you need to discuss with me, my lady? Anything serious?”

“I’m afraid so,” she said. She sighed as she spoke, and Mòrag noticed she looked tired. “I’m sure you have noticed that I haven’t been feeling at my best lately.” Mòrag only nodded, not wanting to speak. “I’ve spoken to some doctors and they...believe that something may have gone wrong when Niall was born.”

Mòrag was almost ashamed to find that her mind immediately went to whether Niall was going to be okay. She hadn’t noticed anything wrong with him, but if he… She didn’t even want to think about what would happen if something had gone wrong for both her driver and Niall.

“My lady? What’s wrong?” Her mind was still swirling. Even if the Empress died, that meant that Mòrag would retreat back into her core crystal. She wouldn’t be able to protect Niall, or Mor Ardain, or anything. She would have no choice but to wait for someone else to reawaken her. 

“Oh Mòrag, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so worried,” she said. She looked so...upset. Mòrag was starting to fear for her. “I should be fine for now. They’re going to see if they can do anything, but it’s not looking good, I must admit. I’m sorry to do this to you.”

“It’s not your fault, my lady.” She tried to look calm, but she...well, she was not. She took a deep breath. “Your son. Niall. How is he to be looked after? Half of the nurses who take care of him are incompetent. I seem to do most of the taking care.”

“We shall have to find others,” she said. “Or...there is always another way. I would not- I could not ask you to do it, however.” Mòrag looked at her, the question of what she was about to say likely clear on her face. “No, Mòrag, I apologise. I could not ask you to do such a thing.”

“My lady, please.” Mòrag sat forward, the smallest spark of hope in her eyes. “If there is any way I can help you, I will do it. Please, tell me what it is.” Through their ether link, she could already sense that it was something big. Something...unusual. Perhaps it was even dangerous.

She shook her head. “It will not help me even a bit. We’ll...we’ll just have to see for now. I will tell you about it if it becomes certain that I cannot recover. Until then, I don’t want the burden of this knowledge to weigh on you.”

“As you wish, my lady.” It was pointless to argue, Mòrag already knew that from experience. The best thing to do was simply to drop it. Move on with life, for as long as she could. Apparently a lot less long than she had hoped, unless things dramatically improved very soon. 

Her driver hadn’t said it, of course, but the implication was that she was dying and would die soon unless something could be done. And then she said there was no way Mòrag could help. That just sounded like she was going to die but didn’t want to admit it to her. Mòrag didn’t want to think about returning to her core crystal, waiting for someone to reawaken her, and not knowing anything about her life before. Obviously, it had happened before. Many times, she had been told. But although she had no idea how she had reacted in any of her past lives, she could guess that she probably hadn’t been very happy about dying. And she definitely wasn’t happy now.

In the future, people would try to reawaken her. How many people would try before someone succeeded? Would her core crystal kill people before she finally woke again? When she was finally reawakened, how old would Niall be? He would have forgotten her, and she would have forgotten him. Would anyone who knew her even still be alive? What if she never even knew Niall again? What if Niall tried to reawaken her, and he didn’t have the aptitude? She couldn’t bear to imagine that.

She was overthinking this. With a sigh, Mòrag stood up, excusing herself and walking out of the room. Worrying about this would get her nowhere. The Empress had an idea to make things work out if it had to come to that, although Mòrag was still clueless as to what it was. And maybe she wouldn’t even get sicker. Maybe the court doctors would figure this out.

The weeks progressed, and Mòrag heard no more from her driver about the mysterious complication or how she was doing. They both went about business as normal, but she still didn’t fight alongside her anymore. Mòrag spent her time fighting assorted insurgents, mostly on her own, and whenever she wasn’t fighting she was almost always assigned to watch over Niall. Nothing got any better, but nothing got any worse, either. It was impossible to tell what might happen, and it worried Mòrag daily until she could think of little else. The only pleasant distraction was Niall. For one so small and silent, he was good company.

She could feel the depth of his heart. Maybe it was because of her link to her driver and then the Empress’ link to him through motherhood, or maybe it was that she spent so much time with him, but she felt close to him. It broke her heart to even entertain the thought that she may forget him some day soon. And to think that he may forget her too… It didn’t bear thinking about. Mòrag could only hope that somehow she would be able to spend enough time with this child to make an impression on him. Make sure he knew how much she cared for him. 

And if there was anything, anything at all, that she could do to lengthen her time with him so she could protect him as long as she was able to...she would do it. Anything at all. No matter what her driver had in mind that she would not voice, she would do it.


	3. An End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mòrag's driver doesn't seem to be getting any better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for this chapter in general, specifically if you find death a difficult subject.

Her driver’s health began to ail further, and all Mòrag could do was watch and despair. Her driver barely spoke to her anymore, staying in her rooms all the time and seeing strings of doctors. Mòrag did what she could to help her, help Niall, help the Emperor, but she still felt set apart from the world. She had never had to speak to people before; her driver did it. And now that was suddenly removed and Mòrag had no idea what to do.

It wasn’t until she could feel their bond getting weaker that she finally went to the Empress to ask her a question. She had been spending all of her time in bed, and Mòrag was struck by how sickly she looked, how thin and small and pale. So much had changed already, and it was terrifying. “My lady…” She couldn’t afford to waste any time with this. She had to ask. “A while ago you told me that...if your illness got worse, you knew of a way to- I don’t know, help me? You wouldn’t tell me then, but now, I implore you. Please.” 

“Oh, Mòrag…” The Empress looked so weak. “I could never ask you to take such a measure. It would not-” she coughed. “It would not be fair for me to ask you to do something like that. I can’t expect you to-” she broke off into coughing again, and Mòrag put a hand on her back to try and steady her.

“Please, my lady, you must. I would do anything, anything at all, if it meant I could help you, or the Emperor, or Niall. No matter how terrible it is. As long as it is within my power, I will do it.” She could sense fear through their link, something she wasn’t used to at all. Her driver did not get scared. Even throughout her illness, Mòrag knew she hadn’t been afraid for herself. Only for her son. So this...this was worrying.

“This is… Mòrag, have you ever thought about death? Because I don’t want to die. There is so much here I love, so many people I want to spend more time with. I love my country, my people, my husband, my son. I cherish the time I have spent with every living being in this world, and I don’t want to leave. Perhaps the reason I- maybe I don’t want to tell you about this because, while it would prevent your death, it would hasten mine.”

“What?” Mòrag frowned. Surely that was impossible. When a driver died, their blade died with them. That was the way of life. She had certainly never heard of anything different. “My lady, I-” She stopped, considering it. As much as she wanted the Empress to live, if she survived, she would be able to watch over Niall, make sure Mor Ardain was safe. “My lady, if you want to tell me about this, I- I could watch over your son and your people for you. I swear I would never let anything bad happen.”

“Had you come to terms with dying with me?” She asked. Mòrag thought for a moment. She hadn’t exactly wanted it, but she knew it was fact. She had known no world without her driver, and being without her seemed...wrong. It was against the way of the world. She nodded. “There is a way, and we would have to- I would have to discuss it with my husband. It is risky, and frowned upon, but it would allow you to continue in this trying time.”

“Whatever it is, if you wish for me to do it, then I gladly will,” she promised. “Anything for you, my lady.” It was going to be something bad. Probably something awful. But Mòrag had always been a loyal servant to her driver. Always. 

“The only way for a blade to continue after the death of a driver is for the blade to...consume human parts. It- it doesn’t have to be their driver, and it can be almost any part, technically, though the limits of the process haven’t been tested, but- I could not ask you to do such a thing were it not me.” Had Mòrag had a human heart, it would have started racing. She was disgusted and horrified by the mere suggestion that she would...do something like that.

“...Oh,” was all she managed. “I- um...my lady, I-” Words had failed her utterly. She really wasn’t sure how to go about handling this. Was she supposed to agree to it? Or disagree? The very idea of...of eating human parts was horrific. But if it would help her driver… “My lady, I don’t know what to say. If you wish for it, I won’t deny you that. But… I don’t know how I would even go about doing such a thing.” 

“I would rather not discuss the details with you for now,” she said. “This is all...a little too much for me. If you could- if you could fetch the Emperor while I get a moment’s rest, then we can discuss it further. Tell him it’s an urgent matter of my health, he’ll understand. We have already discussed it, in part.”

“Of course, my lady.” Mòrag lingered a moment longer, resting a comforting hand on her driver’s shoulder. Then she turned away and left the room, disguising a quiet sigh. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation for her driver to have with the Emperor, and it was going to be even less pleasant for her should they decide that they wanted to go through with this. 

-

When Mòrag’s driver had told her she had ‘already discussed’ the idea of Mòrag living past her death with the Emperor, this was not what she had expected. The Emperor already knew everything, and he’d been told more than the Empress had been willing to say to her face. The maids who attended to her Majesty had been sent away the moment he approached, as well as the guards outside the doors to her suite. It seemed like everyone was a lot more set on this process than she had been led to believe, which meant, well...she didn’t even want to think about it. When she had woken up this morning, this was not how she had expected her day to go.

“Mòrag,” the Emperor said. “I say this to you as a request, not an order, but on behalf of all the people of Mor Ardain. Or world is in turmoil and losing you would be felt deeply by all, even those who do not know you. If things remain as they are, my wife has merely days to live and you will go with her. If you...if you were to take her heart to form your own then I will help you every step of the way on this- this rather difficult path.”

“I understand.” Mòrag looked at her driver, how weak and sick she was. It hurt so much to see her this way. “I’ll...I’ll do it, if that’s what she wants. I would do anything for her, and for Mor Ardain. And for Niall. I couldn’t bear to have him grow up without...without at least something close to a mother.”

“You would have to go away for a short while,” he said. “We will have to see how things pan out, at least for a while. I am sure you understand that if you are still here when…” He looked over to the bed. “If you are still here, there would be outrage. We can discuss it more another time, it is just that...time is short, currently.”

“I know.” She sighed. Time had never been shorter, and it was running out by the day. By the hour, even. She would rather not have to do this at all, but the circumstances seemed to be forcing her to act quickly. “My lady, I- when should we-” She didn’t want to say it. She didn’t even want to think about it. When she came to it, she didn’t even know if she’d be able to do it.

“Now,” she said. “These next few days, I may… We don’t know how much longer I can last, and if time is shorter than I think, even, then it may be too late and we will lose our chance. So today would be best.”

“Now. I see.” Mòrag glanced at the Emperor, and then at her driver. “My lady, I presume you would rather the two of us were alone?” She nodded. The Emperor stepped closer, and Mòrag moved back to give them some privacy. This was the last time they would see each other, after all. 

She considered, briefly, how Niall would feel about all of this when he grew up. Would he know? They wouldn’t exactly be able to tell a toddler that the person who spent a lot of time with him was actually his mother’s blade, because he’d tell everyone. She glanced over at the couple again before hurriedly pulling her gaze away. This hurt to watch. Her driver and the Emperor had always been so close.

Five minutes later, the Emperor walked hastily out of the room. The way he studiously avoided meeting Mòrag’s eyes told her that he was crying. She walked up to her driver, kneeling by her bedside. “My lady...it’s been an honour to know you. You are so brave, and so kind, and I wish more than anything that- that it didn’t have to come to this. But I promise you, I will keep Mor Ardain safe for you. I will make sure that your son is loved as much as you love him yourself, and that he is raised with the best of care. It’s the least I can do for you.” 

Her driver smiled. “Thank you, Mòrag,” she said. Even now, she sounded weaker than she had only earlier that day. Mòrag was very glad she had chosen that day to ask her again. “Thank you for how diligently you have served me and the Empire and your commitment to continue doing so, even in such trying times and outside what you truly want to do. It means so much that you would do this. It shows- it shows you are more than just my blade, and I hope that you get the chance to grow into...into a new role as a person rather than a weapon.”

“I hope so, too. I will do my utmost to keep your legacy alive, and have you remembered as the brilliant, shining Empress that you were. That you still are. The world will never forget what you gave to it, my lady.” Mòrag took her hand and squeezed it gently. “If you’re ready, we should...proceed with things, now. Before I lose my nerve.” Her driver nodded and squeezed her hand in return, and Mòrag began the most painful process of her life.


	4. Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mòrag wakes in an unfamiliar place.

It was...bad. That was the only way Mòrag could describe her feelings over the next few days. Her body was heavy and light at the same time, and full of strange, terrible feelings, and her mind whirled almost constantly. She spent half of the time stuck in bed in a near-feverish state, and the other parts were equally spent sleeping and staring into space. What had happened almost didn’t feel real, but it was. The sickening thud in her chest every second was a reminder of what she had done, and there was no escaping it. Even in sleep, the thump of her heartbeat haunted her dreams. It was enough to make Mòrag want to tear the damn thing out of her chest sometimes. But she had to get used to it. She had to. 

She hadn’t been able to discuss anything with the Emperor. Once she had...performed the necessary action, he had come back into the room. She was fairly sure that one or both of them had been crying, but she didn’t know which one of them it was had it only been one. From there, everything had most definitely passed into a haze of confusion and fear. She hadn’t been aware of much after that, but she had woken up in an unfamiliar bed. And that was where she had stayed since then, feverish and grieving. It hadn’t exactly been an easy few days. Now, though...she was starting to feel as though she should face the world again.

Feeling newly alive was...strange. Her past felt so vivid, yet everything about her was now different. The world had a new colour to it, a freshness she had never experienced before. She could feel the currents of the wind all around her, just as she had always been able to, but now there was something else. It took her a while to realise that she was merely experiencing the world without an ether link to another being. That hurt to realise. And Mòrag missed it. But for now, it looked like she was going to have to struggle on without it. 

Finally getting out of bed was a challenge. Making herself look presentable was a challenge. Dragging herself to the door and opening it was one of the hardest challenges she had ever undertaken. Everything ached in new ways now that she was partially human. And it was only there that she realised that she probably shouldn’t leave her quarters. People would surely recognise her. The only difference present in her image at the moment was that the core crystal in her chest, once a bright blue crescent, was now mixed with a red colour. Anyone in the palace now would recognise her as who she was, and they would know what she had done. She should at least cover the crystal up, make sure that the glow wasn’t visible through her clothing. And maybe she should make some other effort to disguise her appearance, too, although she wasn’t sure what. Anything would do- anything to keep her from the judgement of those in the castle. 

She spent some time staring into a mirror, trying to work out what she should do. She knew that she could probably changed what she looked like; she’d seen other blades do it, she just didn’t know how to do it herself and she didn’t even know what she’d change if she did. After a while of staring, someone entered the room. She span round, snatching her weapon up from beside her before seeing it was the Emperor. Without stopping for a moment, she stood up and bowed deeply to him.

“Emperor,” Mòrag said, shocked at how her voice sounded dry and croaky. Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember drinking much of anything during her few days in isolation. “It is good to see how. Did- did you wish to speak with me about something?” She wanted to ask how he was holding up, but that hardly seemed like a fair question when the reason for his suffering was currently thumping in her chest.

“I came to see if you had recovered,” he said. “You have not been...well for the last few days. I will admit I feared you would not make it through this most difficult period in your life.”

Mòrag nodded. “I feel far better now,” she said. She wasn’t completely recovered, but she imagined that was due to the strangeness of the situation rather than actual physical weakness.

“Then we should discuss what comes next,” he said. “Where you should go now and what you should do, for one.”

“Indeed.” Mòrag felt weak to do so, but she couldn’t help but step back and settle down on the edge of her bed. Her weapon was set aside for now; it was hardly useful when the mere act of standing for a minute had made her dizzy and weak at the knees. “How am I to exist in the palace when so many people recognise me?”

“Your appearance shall have to change,” he said. “And I will see if I can find you some clothing a little more fitting towards your surroundings. I...we will have to see how things unfold, but should you be able to prove yourself in this form, I will try and grant you a position close to Niall. For now, however, I am unsure.”

“I promised my lady that I would protect him,” Mòrag said firmly. She rested a hand over her heart, and for a moment, it almost felt like her driver was in the room with her. “That is one thing I shall be adamant about. I will take a position close to Niall. The last promise I made to the Empress was that I would keep her son safe, no matter what.”

The Emperor nodded and looked away. “I suppose I could appoint you as his chief caregiver, but if you are currently no one of importance in their eyes, it may look strange - the last thing we want is for someone to understand what has happened.” His voice was suddenly rough and Mòrag found herself unable to act on the whirling feelings of guilt inside of her.

“Tell everyone I’m a relative of the Empress,” she suggested. She wanted to reach out, rest a hand on the Emperor’s arm, but she hardly knew if that was her place. “I’ll pretend to be some distant aunt or cousin to Niall that you had brought in so that he could be raised by family.”

“Maybe- not yet,” he said. “It is...too soon. It has been less than a week, and I’m sure you understand that this is all too fresh for intrigue. I cannot act on this so soon. Her body is not even- she has yet to have a funeral. No one is ready for a long lost relative to appear.”

“I understand.” Some instinct in Mòrag told her to reach out now, and she did, taking the Emperor’s arm and helping him sit down. He did so gratefully, slumping onto the bed as if he had been drained of his will to live. “Take as long as you need. I- I am truly sorry that things had to happen like this. It’s far from ideal, and...I miss my driver dearly. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain you feel.”

“I suppose you have lost someone too,” he said. His voice was tired but almost sharp, even as he spoke now. Mòrag had the distinct sense that she was being told off in some way. “But she is closer to you now. You had an unbreakable connection, and even after her death, you...remain near her, in a way.”

“In a way,” Mòrag echoed. Her hand once again went to her heart, pressing against the so very human organ there. “I… I don’t quite know how to describe it, but I feel as though she is guiding me somehow. My thoughts, my actions...they are driven by her, if I let them be. That is, I think, why I find myself so fiercely devoted to protecting Niall. The same instinct that came through our ether link when she was alive is now burning in me because of our new connection.”

The Emperor stood up rather sharply. “I will take my leave of you for now,” he said. “I will ask someone to bring you food. Do not answer the door to them, just collect it once they leave. You should think about how you will hide your identity. That is the best use of your time now.”

“Of course.” Mòrag wasn’t surprised by the hasty departure, just a little saddened. Of course the Emperor couldn’t stand the sight of her; she had taken his wife from him, even though without her intervention the Empress would have died even more slowly. She wanted to remain silent, but that instinct deep in her chest flared up again. “Emperor- I realise that you likely want nothing to do with me at the moment, but should you wish to talk… I doubt anyone understands your feelings better than I. That is all, I won’t keep you any longer.” She bowed her head.

“I am afraid you cannot understand these feelings,” he said. “You are no more than a blade with a new heart at this point in time. The gravity of all that has happened...I know for certain that you do not grasp it as fully as I.”

That stung. Mòrag said nothing as the Emperor left the room. She didn’t know what to think of his words. She felt that she had understood everything in excruciating detail; that was why the last few days had been so difficult. To find that, past all this, the Emperor still saw her as someone who lacked understanding of everything...it hurt beyond her imagining. She would prove to him that she understood soon enough; for now, though, she would let him grieve. He deserved that much, and honestly, so did she.


	5. Disguise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mòrag gets tired of waiting for the Emperor to be ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure that Ch4 never bumped the fic up to the top of the fandom page (AO3 when will Xenoblade 2 get its own fandom page) :( so idk if anyone read Ch4 or not. Please check if you have before reading this chapter.

Time stretched out. Mòrag did her best to keep herself occupied, keep track of the days, but it was rather challenging when she was shut in a room and not allowed to go outside. Her suite had windows, but she didn’t dare stray too close to them in case someone saw her. She didn’t really miss talking to people because she’d never done much of that in the first place, but she missed being able to fight or even feel the hot blow of air through her hair. She was brought food and water, but that was about it. The Emperor had not come to talk to her again. By this point, Mòrag was fearing that he might not ever come back. Every day, the urge to simply storm out and demand to see Niall grew stronger. She had made a promise, and she was being barred from keeping it.

She had tried playing around with various stories to explain her presence. She thought that being a distant relative of the royal family was manageable; perhaps someone who had been raised outside of the family due to being separated from Mor Ardain somehow. Her only other option would be to join the military and try and get promoted, but that would take so much time, and she needed to look after Niall now.

As it turned out, today was the day that she snapped. Mòrag couldn’t take this any longer. When she rose in the morning, she ate the breakfast that had been left outside her door, set the tray calmly on her bed, and then went to her dressing table to find some scissors. She was getting out of here, and she was going to find Niall. No matter how much she had to change about herself to make it happen.

She’d spent a little time experimenting with how she looked, but it was difficult to get past the fact that her hair reached halfway down her back. There was no way she could change what she looked like when her hair was so recognisable. It didn’t look like human hair at all. She closed her eyes and focused on the way that the ether in contact with the ends of her hair made it look like it was smouldering and tried desperately to change it. When that was done, she sat on the chair in front of the mirror and raised the scissors to her hair. How short should it go?

Fuck it. Might as well go all out. Mòrag gathered all of her hair in one fist and let the scissors do their work, watching in the mirror as most of her hair shimmered and then dissolved into orange particles in her hand. That was the worst of it out of the way. Now it hung around her shoulders, far too messy to be presentable, so she set to work on tidying things up, until finally she was left with a reasonably neat short cut. It looked...unrecognisable. Perfect. 

Changing everything else was a little difficult. Her appearance wasn’t malleable and she hadn’t exactly changed at all since she had been awakened a few years ago, so she was probably still vaguely recognisable, but she hated all the powders that people used to make themselves look different. The one thing she could change was her clothing. What she had worn as a blade had been fairly tight-fitting, but now she raided the wardrobe of this room for a long, dark blue coat that hid her figure fairly well, and a hat that she could pull down to shadow her face. It wasn’t a perfect disguise, but to an observer who wasn’t expecting it to be her, Mòrag figured she looked suitably un-Mòrag-like now. Time to go and find Niall.

Walking down the corridors was a terrifying experience. She wasn’t sure whether to duck into doorways or not as guards passed, but she decided not to, and no one stopped her. In the past, people used to stand to attention when they saw her, but now they just walked by. She didn’t have to speak to anyone, and it didn’t take her long to figure out she’d been placed in the guest wing of the palace.

As she approached the throne room, it occurred to her that she didn’t have much idea of what to say. She pondered on it as she walked, and eventually decided that the most efficient way to get what she wanted would be to make a fuss. The Empress had occasionally had noble friends of hers staying at the castle, and they all seemed awfully prone to kicking up a fuss if they didn’t get exactly what they wanted. Mòrag distinctly recalled one particular man flinging all of his towels out of a window because of them had had a speck of dirt on it. She considered herself blessed that her own driver had not acted that way.

She approached the outer lift for the room and stood there for a few moments, watching the guards. In the past, she’d been allowed to walk in when she wanted, as long as the Emperor wasn’t busy, but now she didn’t have the same privilege of being recognised by the guards. She’d have to address them, and she didn’t know the correct protocol, especially as the person she had made up was not formally a part of Ardainian nobility. Looked like she was just going to have to wing it.

“Excuse me,” she said loudly, lifting her chin and striding over to the guards. “I want to see my cousin. Now. His mother is dead, and the boy should not be raised without a member of his own family present. You will take me to Prince Niall.” Mòrag winced at her own pretend presumptuous demand. She would never dream of speaking to someone in this manner if she did not see it as completely necessary.

“I-” The poor soldier looked incredibly confused. “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t recognise you. I am sure you understand, we can’t take strangers to see his Majesty’s son.”

Sir? She hadn’t been expecting that. Oh, well. May as well go along with it. “I am Prince Niall’s cousin, on his mother’s side. I saw the boy when he was born, surely someone must remember me.” She folded her arms. “Take me to the Emperor, then. He will put this to rights.”

“His Majesty is currently too busy to deal with commoners off the street claiming to be related to the late Empress,” the soldier said. “Go out into the city and come back later, if you must. The meeting of the Senate will adjourn within three hours.” Mòrag looked at the soldier and at the lift in front of her. She couldn’t exactly just push past him. Senate meetings couldn’t be interrupted. But she didn’t want to go out into the city either.

“This is ridiculous!” Time to go into full-on tantrum mode. Ugh, she hated this. She hated doing this to these poor soldiers who were clearly just doing their job. “I will wait here,” she said, “until I can see his Majesty so he can clear this whole situation up.”

“...Very well,” the soldier at the lift said. “We can’t stop you from waiting. Just don’t make a nuisance of yourself or we will remove you from the area.”

“Of course.” Mòrag strode over to a gilded seating area and settled down, folding her hands in her lap and making sure to continuously glare daggers at the guards. It took a lot of focus to make sure that her hair didn’t start smouldering again, but at least there was much less of it to focus on now.

Another thing she had to watch out for was smoke. This was something new, something recent, and she really didn’t understand it. But sometimes, when she wasn’t thinking about it, smoke appeared, and in the same way that she had an affinity with the winds, she could feel smoke around her. It would not be good to attract attention if she accidentally made someone think there was a fire nearby.

So, she sat, and she focused, and she managed to appear human. After two and a half hours, senators started to come down in the elevator, and a little while after that, the Emperor followed them. He was stopped by the guards, who pointed to her and whispered something she couldn’t overhear. The Emperor looked at her, puzzled, and Mòrag tipped her hat at him. Recognition dawned on his face then, and he narrowed his eyes and strode over to her.

“Lord Ladair,” he said. He was glaring at her very pointedly as he said that. “I did not know you planned to visit Mor Ardain again so soon.”

“I did not plan to, no,” she said. “But the world has a way of taking things from you rather suddenly. I came as soon as I could.”

“I see. I understand you wish to see Niall? I should have expected as much.” Mòrag didn’t bother responding verbally; she just gave a curt nod. The Emperor glared at her so hard that she could practically feel it burning into her. 

“No one here has recognised me,” she said in a voice low enough that only the Emperor would hear. “So, you have no reason not to take me to Niall.”

“Of course,” he said. “We have a lot to catch up on, however, so I shall come with you to see him for now.” He led her down several hallways. This time, people bowed and moved away as they passed, and before long the corridors were deserted before they even reached them. “You are a reckless fool,” he said. “Where did the calculating Mòrag of the past go?”

“She is still here,” Mòrag said simply. “But calculating was clearly not going to get me out of my jail cell and closer to the boy I swore to protect. Truly, I do not think you understand how strong my need is to see him. A little recklessness was necessary in order to stop you from keeping me shut in that room, where I was so conveniently out of the way. Out of sight and out of mind, yes? Emperor, I understand why you don’t want me around. But I will not stand for having my driver’s- your wife’s- last wishes be so blatantly disrespected.”

The Emperor said nothing for a moment, and Mòrag nearly went back on what she said and apologised for stepping out of line. Then he sighed and kept walking. “You’re changed,” he said. “Deeply so, I would say. You seem so different to the blade I knew.” Mòrag wanted to point out that he never really spoke to her, so he wouldn’t know her, but she held her tongue. Disagreements aside, he was her superior in every way.

“Perhaps I have changed. For the better, I would hope.” The Emperor made no comment on that, so Mòrag kept walking with him in silence until they reached Niall’s room. Next to what had been the Empress’ old quarters, and were now just a few doors draped in the black silk of mourning. Mòrag bowed her head respectfully, feeling a now-familiar twinge of grief in her stomach, and then turned to Niall’s door. “Thank you, Emperor, for allowing me this. I will take good care of him, I promise.”

“We will have to make further arrangements in time,” he said. “I cannot set up a child lord who doesn’t exist as the caretaker of my son. You will have to prove yourself to the people, or to the court. Take time to think about this when you can, or I cannot promise that this will last for any length of time. And for the sake of the Architect please don’t do something so reckless again.”

“I will prove myself, don’t you worry.” Mòrag couldn’t stand to stay out here and dither any longer. She pushed open the door, striding over to the crib where Niall was sleeping. He looked perfectly fine; asleep and totally unaware of what had been going on around him over the past few weeks. Poor kid. Mòrag bent down to pick him up, feeling her heart swell as she held him close. “You’re safe now, Niall. I won’t ever let anyone hurt you.” She might just have been imagining it, but it felt almost like she wasn’t the one saying those words; like the Empress was still within her, guarding over her every move. That was why she was here, after all - to act in her stead and watch over Niall and the Empire, always.


	6. Solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Emperor presents a suggestion to Mòrag for how she can stay by Niall's side.

Mòrag barely left Niall’s suite for a week. The other people taking care of him knew her as the ‘young Ladair heir from Indol’ and they hadn’t quite worked out if she was male or female. She didn’t bother clarifying with them; Niall was important, not what his useless nurses thought about her. They had no clue about how to handle or engage with an infant. She, on the other hand, was well used to Niall’s behaviour by now, and she could identify his every mood and want. And still, she would swear that she could feel the Empress’ influence guiding her, advising her if ever she was unsure.

After a few days, the Emperor came back to visit her again. This time, he seemed a little more collected, and he clearly wasn’t pleased with her. “I believe I have a solution,” he told her. “To make this feasible for you.”

“Do tell,” she said. Niall was resting in her arms, as quiet as he always was. He barely seemed to even care that his own father was in the room; Mòrag took that as a sign of what she had already suspected- the Emperor barely took the time to bond with his own son. It was sad, really.

“There is an imperial position not used in the past few years due to it not being required,” he said. “The position of Special Inquisitor exists to protect the imperial family from danger. If you could take up these duties, you could formally become the protector of Niall.”

“Then I will do it, of course.” That sounded surprisingly ideal. Surely there was some kind of a catch- this position embodied everything that she had been hoping for, and in Mòrag’s experience, things were never this easy. “Is...there anything else about this position that I should know?”

“Well, protecting Niall would not be your only duty,” he said. “You would also have to deal with direct threats to the empire and security in the palace as well as protecting me. And, as you would be posing as a member of the Ladair family, of which you claim to be the only heir, to have this position you would have to awaken a blade as well as engage with other members of the nobility.”

“Awaken a-” Mòrag looked down at her own hands- hands that had, until recently, been those of a blade. Was it possible that they had changed that much? “Is it possible for me to awaken a blade? If so, then I will gladly fulfil the duties you ask of me, your Majesty. Which blade would you wish for me to awaken?” There was a collection of core crystals in the palace’s vaults, most of which had lain dormant for years.

“I would advise you not to be so hasty,” the Emperor said. “Think about this. Do you really want to take such a public path? If you fail to hide your identity, it will not just have repercussions for you. This is a serious matter, Mòrag, and it does not merit instantaneous decisions.”

“With respect, what other choice do I possibly have? Anyone who knew me expects me to have returned to my core crystal. I swore to my driver that I would protect her son and the people of Mor Ardain, and here you are, presenting me with a way to do just that. This is the best path I could take right now.” Mòrag looked down at the baby in her arms, and she felt more sure of her words than she could ever remember being in her life.

“I can give you information on the blades whose core crystals we have in the vault,” he said after a short pause. “From there, you can make your decision. You will also have to undertake some combat training, but I’m sure you won’t have any difficulty with that.”

“I most certainly won’t.” Mòrag prided herself on her combat skills. And if she had to learn to work with a blade, she would do it. Ideally, she wanted a blade whom she knew she could get along with; someone whose skills she could play off of in battle. “I’ll take that information on the core crystals now, please. The sooner we make everything official, the better.”

“I’ll have to ask someone to fetch it,” he said. “Give me a moment.” He left the room for a few minutes, and Mòrag turned her attention back to Niall. She cooed at him gently, watching as he grabbed the tips of her fingers with his own tiny hands. When the Emperor was back, he spoke again. “I presume you will go by Mòrag?” He asked.

“I will, if that’s possible.” She was still looking at Niall, and she gently brushed a finger down the side of his tiny face. Babies were such strange creatures, and yet she found herself enraptured by this one in particular. “I do not really know which name people knew me by before.”

“Caller of winds,” he said. “You were known chiefly as my wife’s blade. Your name itself was not widely known. I was merely inquiring as several members of the palace staff are under the impression that my late wife’s nephew is here currently, looking after Niall.”

“Nephew. Ha...a lot of people seem to be mistaking me for male now. It’s a wonder what a haircut and some looser-fitting clothes will do for a person. Tell the palace staff whatever you wish, I hardly mind living as whatever gender they choose to perceive me as.” She smiled fondly down at Niall. “As long as I can take care of this boy, I will live however I must. Do whatever I have to do.”

“Fewer lies are better,” he said. The Emperor looked distinctly… Mòrag didn’t understand the look on his face, honestly. He was hiding something that he was thinking, that much she could tell for sure, but no more than that. “As you will be taking a military role there is no need for you to be feminine as such, but I wouldn’t recommend saying that you are male.”

“Alright.” Niall started shifting and looking vaguely upset, so Mòrag stood and started pacing around the room to soothe him. There was a knock at the door, and the Emperor answered it- it was a servant, carrying an official-looking scroll. That would be the list of blades for her to peruse, she expected.

“The blades,” the Emperor said, holding the scroll out to her. Mòrag nodded to the desk to her right; she couldn’t take it or read it while holding Niall. “Read it when you’re available and let me know tomorrow so we can prepare an official ceremony.” Mòrag nodded and, when the Emperor saw she had no more to say, he left the room, leaving her to soothe the restless Niall. He hadn’t said a word to his own son.

“Shh, it’s alright,” she murmured. “I’m here. Shh, that’s it. Why don’t you go to sleep, hmm?” As if responding to her words. Niall’s soft cries quieted, and he soon enough fell back into slumber. She set him down in his cot and turned to the desk, unrolling the scroll. On it was a list of blades, each one with a small portrait next to their name and a brief description of their abilities.

First on the list was Aegaeon. Mòrag had memories of Aegaeon, who had been the blade of the Emperor’s brother before he had been killed by insurgents several months ago. She entertained the thought of awakening him again, but their differences in experience at this point were too stark. She remembered Aegaeon, and while his description said he was steadfastedly loyal, she recalled that he was a bit of a stickler for the proper regulations and procedure, and all of this was anything but.

Second on the list was...her. Mòrag frowned, tracing over the tiny painted portrait of her face. Mòrag, Caller of Winds, the scroll boasted. Fearless, loyal, and ruthless. Was that how people saw her? There were worse ways to be remembered, she supposed… She glanced at a quill on the desk and considered scribbling her entry out, but she couldn’t bring herself to deface such an official document.

There were many other blades. They were mostly blades that befitted defence, or worked best without a driver, or strong, regal blades that left an impression if they were to be involved merely in a contest of strength. Mòrag wasn’t like that. She didn’t want to attract attention from people, and she had no interest in letting her blade do all the dirty work. She was light on her feet and she wanted any blade she awakened to be the same.

One blade caught her attention. Her little portrait was vibrantly purple and blue, and her name was Brighid, the Jewel of Mor Ardain. Mòrag wondered what she had done to warrant that title. Apparently Brighid was compassionate and devoted, yet also fast and strong in her attacks. She seemed...perfect. And she was pretty, too, if the portrait meant anything. Not that Mòrag was factoring attractiveness into her decision making. 

Brighid really did seem like the blade she should go with. She hadn’t known her in her life, which was a plus because it removed any awkward impressions she may already have like with Aegaeon, and she had exactly the kind of abilities she was looking for. In a list of blades who weren’t at all suitable, Brighid was clearly the one for her.

That was, if she could resonate with a blade at all. Maybe the core crystal would do nothing in her still-not-human hands. Maybe it would burn her up from the inside out. It was uncertain, and Mòrag hated uncertainty. But it seemed like it was something that she would just have to live with a lot from now on.


	7. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mòrag awakens Brighid.

The awakening of an imperial core crystal apparently required a ceremony. The ceremony didn’t have to be large, particularly as no one really knew who Mòrag was, but there had to be one. Core crystals were a treasure of the empire and the blades inside them were just as valuable. Knowing this made her feel almost uneasy - she was a treasure, and when she had been awakened there had been a ceremony. She had corrupted that process with this course of events. And what if something went wrong? This could blow her cover, and then everyone would know what she was. Ugh, there was far too much to worry about here. She just had to grit her teeth and get through it, as she always did.

There was a small collection of people at the ceremony, including the Grand Marshall, which was a very intimidating experience. The Grand Marshall knew her in her previous form. If he knew what was good he would hold his tongue about any suspicions, however, or at least only take them to the Emperor. Mòrag was sure he understood how delicate the situation was right now.

She could see Brighid’s core crystal now- it had been removed from the vault, and rested in a glass box at the head of the room. Mòrag knew about how to resonate with a blade, but she had never done it in practise, not even with any common core crystals. This was to be her first attempt.

As Mòrag walked through the room, an announcer spoke. “May I present to you Lady Mòrag Ladair, heir to the Ladair family, present today to awaken Brighid in her preparation to take the role of Special Inquisitor.” Mòrag found it vaguely entertaining that a man she had never met before supposedly knew all of this about her, but the nervousness of the whole situation overrode that a little. She just incined her head politely at the introduction, and walked up to the core crystal. Perhaps she was supposed to wait for someone to say something else, but her nerves were growing steadily higher. So, she reached out, and grasped the crystal firmly in one hand.

It was an interesting sensation, to say the least. Experiencing the world without an ether connection had been the most jarring thing about this, and suddenly ether exploded around her in a burst of sensation, but it was different. She was feeling this both as someone who could take ether from the world around them but also as someone receiving ether from a blade. It burned, and for a few terrifying moments she thought that it was burning too much, that she was going to die-

And then the crystal seemed to explode in a burst of blue light, blinding her momentarily. When her vision cleared, there was a woman standing in front of her- tall, graceful, and serene. Just as her portrait had looked. In that moment, Mòrag tried her hardest to conceal the fact that she was a blade from her. Just until she was in private. If it was mentioned now, in front of all these people, she didn’t know what she’d do.

“Greetings,” Brighid said. “My name is Brighid. I am here to serve you in whatever way I am able.”

“I am Mòrag,” she said back. “Soon to be Special Inquisitor of Mor Ardain.” Brighid knew something was up. Mòrag could feel confusion coming through their new ether link. Oh, how she had missed feeling an ether link. “I believe we have much to discuss, but it would be better done in private.”

The people assembled bowed to her. It was only now that she realised the Emperor was not here. He really cared so little that he didn’t even observe this? She didn’t understand him or his methods. She didn’t understand why he cared so little about her, about his son. The best way she could describe it was sad.

She glanced around, making sure nobody was expecting her to make a speech, and then beckoned for Brighid to follow her out of the room. She had taken up residence in a room next to Niall’s quarters, and that was where she led Brighid now, hoping that they would be able to talk in private.

“I will admit I have little understanding of the required procedure in these times,” Mòrag said. “I do not know if there is anything I need to show you or anywhere you need to go. I have never even awakened a blade before today. I am...sorry that I am not the most adept of drivers.”

“My lady, you have no need to apologise.” Brighid rested a hand on her arm. It was hot, but not hot enough to burn. “Correct me if I am wrong, but...you are not exactly human, are you? I have no memory of my other lives, but this does not feel quite...normal, to me.”

“I am rather more used to giving ether rather than receiving,” she admitted quietly. She didn’t want to say this with any degree of volume. Honestly, the sensation of the ether link was making her almost lightheaded. “It is...a difficult predicament.”

“Are you a blade yourself?” Brighid reached up, pushing aside her coat to reveal the soft glow of Mòrag’s core crystal shining through her shirt. With a layer of fabric in the way, the light was purplish, like a bruise. “Your core crystal...what happened to it?”

“I-” Mòrag couldn’t help but jerk away from Brighid’s touch and pull her coat back over her shirt. “It isn’t something I am yet ready to speak about,” she decided. “But yes, I would say I am a blade. I do not fully understand it myself, yet my driver is gone and I am still here.”

“I see.” Brighid moved to rest a hand on her arm again, and Mòrag managed not to flinch away. “I think no less of you for it, if you were concerned. If anything, although I do not understand it, I think of you as stronger.” She smiled warmly, and then frowned. “Do I hear a baby crying?”

“That is Niall,” she said, hurriedly doing up the buttons of her coat so she could attend to him. “He is the- do you know where we are? I’m sorry, I’m really not good at explaining all of this. The baby is the son of my previous driver. He is my- charge, of sorts.”

“I would guess that we are in Mor Ardain, as you mentioned it earlier. Beyond that, I haven’t the faintest clue.” Brighid stood up, following Mòrag into Niall’s room. Mòrag hastily picked up the crying child, rocking him gently. 

“Ah. My driver was the Empress of Mor Ardain, so this baby, Niall, is the future Emperor. My driver’s final wish was that I take care of him.” 

“I see…” Brighid walked over, leaning in so that the blue glow of her flames illuminated Niall’s face. “Hello, child… Aren’t you sweet?” Mòrag kept a close eye on where Brighid’s illuminated hands were going. She hadn’t felt the burning herself when they had been touching, but she had no idea if the same applied to Niall.

“He is the Emperor’s only child,” Mòrag said. “He is infinitely important to the security of the Empire. So I awakened you to take up a position as his protector.”

“I see. And don’t worry, I won’t burn him.” She touched a finger lightly to Niall’s cheek, and the baby did nothing more than coo interestedly at her and lean towards the touch. “Ah...I think he likes me.” Brighid laughed softly, and for some reason the sound of it stirred warmth in Mòrag’s chest.

“He’s a lovely child,” she said. Though, honestly, she knew very little about children and this was the only one she’d encountered. He was very sweet, though. She couldn’t wait to see how he developed as he got older. “Shh, Niall.”

After a minute or two more of soothing, Niall finally quieted down and settled back down to sleep. Mòrag set him back in his cot, wondering when he would next need to be fed. Feeding a baby was a rather dull process, honestly- it just involved holding a bottle very still whilst Niall did his best to not drink from it. As sweet as he was, he could be a little annoying sometimes.

“Could you explain the world to me a little more?” Brighid asked. She sat down on the sofa in Niall’s room and, after a few moments more checking Niall was okay, Mòrag joined her. “Niall is important to the Empire, but what kind of world is the Empire situated in? What kind of man is the Emperor?”

“This world is Alrest. Mor Ardain is what is known as a Titan- a large creature that roams around the Cloud Sea, which surrounds all of Alrest. We aren’t the only Titan- there are others, like Gormott, which is neutral, and Uraya, which we are...not on very friendly terms with.

“The Ardainian Titan is one of the oldest in the Cloud Sea, and we have a proud history. But the fact of our age means that our Titan is dying, slowly heating up and making many areas uninhabitable. Because of this, we are in an uncomfortable position lacking in natural resources as well as clean food and water.”

“I see…” Brighid frowned. “How many people live on Mor Ardain?”

“A few thousand.” Mòrag sighed. “We’re working on gaining more territory- it’s being considered that we might invade Gormott, to take advantage of their abundance of resources. But that’s not really something you should talk about just yet.”

“I understand,” she said. “I...so what is my role in this, then? You are here to take care of Niall and protect the Emperor, but if you are already a blade then what use do you have for my abilities?”

“Partially to keep up appearances,” Mòrag said, shrugging. She may as well be honest with Brighid. “To be Special Inquisitor, I needed a powerful blade by my side. From the list of options they gave me, you seemed the one I would be most likely to get along with.”

“So, am I correct in thinking that you do not want others to know you are a blade?” She asked. “To me, your interaction with ether is clearly not the norm. I don’t know what the norm feels like, but I know you are not it. Can other people not sense this?”

“No. Humans are remarkably lacking when it comes to their ability to sense ether. Only drivers can sense ether, and even then only the ether of the blades they are bonded to. It seems a shallow existence to me, being so unconnected, but they seem to get along just fine.”

“I see,” Brighid said. “No, I cannot imagine it at all. Ether is so much a part of everything I cannot see anything else as possible.” Mòrag nodded. She could barely understand it at all. She didn’t even know how ether worked with her now, she hadn’t been able to fight since everything had happened in case people saw.

“Me neither. I can hardly imagine what it must feel like to be human and to suddenly gain a connection to ether through a blade.” Mòrag smiled slightly. “In that way, I consider myself fortunate to have been created as a blade.”

“I don’t think I have enough experience to judge,” Brighid admitted. “Regardless, I look forward to working alongside you, Mòrag. It seems like this phase of my life will be a particularly interesting one.”

**Author's Note:**

> Xenoblade is a very small fandom so it would be much appreciated if you left a comment to let us know how you felt about the chapter/fic :)


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